Suspect wounded during execution of search warrant

Vincent Thompson, 23, was selling guns that were reported stolen or had altered identification to undercover deputies.

SPRINGFIELD -- The Effingham County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigative Division executed a search warrant on 2nd Street in Meldrim on Monday after a year-long undercover investigation. A suspect was shot during a confrontation.

Vincent Thompson, 23, was selling guns that were reported stolen or had altered identification to undercover deputies.

Thompson met with deputies at the Shyam Food Mart on Hwy. 80 to conduct the sale of a firearm. At that same time, deputies were executing the search warrant on his residence.

Both undercover and uniformed deputies conducted the arrest and were in possession of warrants for Thompson for felony criminal use of an article with an altered ID and theft by receiving stolen items.

Thompson was shot during an armed confrontation with deputies and transported to Memorial. He has since been released and was booked into the Effingham County Jail.

During the search, deputies recovered more than 40 guns and tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition, as well as drugs.

Additional charges could be pending. Effingham County Sheriff’s Office requested The Georgia Bureau of Investigation to conduct the official investigation into the officer-nvolved shooting.